Tehran Declares It Could Resume US Atomic Talks if Handled with 'Dignity' and 'Respect'
Iran is prepared to reinitiate atomic negotiations with the United States as long as it is approached with "respect" and "honor", Tehran's top diplomat has stated.
The Iranian diplomat stated only diplomacy worked, and revealed new appeals had originated from go-betweens to resume talks with the American leadership. He asserted Iran had zero secret atomic facilities, and Tehran was not yet able to authorize the global atomic watchdog to inspect attacked atomic facilities for security reasons.
Walking a Challenging Course
Araghchi is treading a difficult path since Iran does not want appear to be proceeding from a situation of vulnerability, and he consistently maintained that Iran had emerged more resilient defensively and emotionally from the coordinated strike on its enrichment centers in June.
He was addressing at a strategic meeting in Tehran where he reiterated that Iran had "an absolute privilege to refine atomic fuel domestically that it will perpetually retain" – the primary cause of the stalemate in the previous talks.
Previous Negotiations Unexpectedly Ended
The prior phases of discussions between the US and Iran were concluded unexpectedly and acrimonious termination on 12 June when Israel, with American backing, struck Iranian nuclear sites in a fortnight-long engagement that concluded with the American leader claiming the facilities had been destroyed. Following this, Western states used their authority to restore international penalties, but Iran maintains they have not had a major impact.
Ideal Resolution Offered
Iran's diplomats said they felt they had reached a "ideal resolution" to the enrichment issue in previous talks, when it was decided an domestic cooperative with Washington's engagement could process nuclear material. Both sides would have been able to declare success since domestic enrichment would have continued and the US could be confident that Iran's enrichment initiative was solely for peaceful purposes.
It had not been agreed in the discussions that Washington's technical specialists could operate on Iranian soil, but that was a natural consequence of the cooperative offer. Representatives stated on multiple occasions they had reached agreement with the US representative Steve Witkoff only for the deal to fall apart due to "opponents in the US".
Present Status
Iran's diplomats said the partnership proposal was now withdrawn, but it seems quite possible the offer could be revived in some form if discussions resume.
Trump last week claimed he had been receiving messages that Iran desired to restart talks, but in private Iran's diplomats claim they are not yet receiving coherent offers from Washington either straightforwardly or from important Middle Eastern intermediaries, such as Qatar, the Egyptian leadership, the Omani authorities and the Saudi kingdom. The Iranian foreign ministry has been charged of non-responsiveness in the face of Washington's unmediated tactics, but Iran states negotiations is not part of a performance.
Negotiating Position
In his speech to the gathering, aimed to portray the US as a hegemonic power that exploits the concept of global regulations, Araghchi stated the 12-day war demonstrated the conflict could not be ended by armed force. He said the attacks started with a Washington's ultimatum for an unconditional Iranian surrender and concluded with an unconditional call for a halt to hostilities.
Iran is certain the initial Israeli attacks were mounted with total Washington understanding and collaboration, making faith challenging to reestablish.
Diplomacy Continues the Final Answer
Araghchi stated: "Tehran was not the one that had abandoned dialogue; it was the United States and the European states that had repeatedly sought to enforce their demands during the negotiations. Dialogue can still be viable and remains the primary solution to settle disagreements, but its requirements, regulations and principles must be respected."
"Provided that they address to the Iranian people with the tone of respect and honor, they will get a reply in the equivalent language."
Repair and Reconstruction
In what is described by Iranian officials as the battle of restoration and rebuilding, Araghchi stated he was confident Iran's defence capabilities "have significantly improved than prior to 13 or 14 June of this year. Our entire military infrastructure have been rebuilt. We acquired many lessons from this war; we have discovered our internal vulnerabilities and the weaknesses of the adversary."
He continued: "We effectively endured this conflict. Our atomic expertise, which they intended to eliminate, continues to exist. The installations and equipment, if destroyed, will be rebuilt; what is crucial is the resolve of the Iranian people and then the national cohesion that they targeted, but did not succeed to shatter. The Iranian people have become more resilient, more united, and more supportive of the leadership and the country in the aftermath of this attack."